Guns are _no use_ for self defense. Guns are for killing other people, period. Killing other people is not defense of the self either. You can't always guarantee having a gun on you, unless you're some paranoid loser who keeps one tucked in their knickers. Well, you are quite the skinny puppy. Maybe when you put on some weight, you'll have more faith in yourself, and less in Mssrs Smith and Wesson.
A dead enemy is not an enemy. I know my laws and I would never use a handgun if I didn't see a threat to my life or health. You can safely use a handgun against a knife or other gun or if you have no other means to defend yourself. By my country's laws at least. In other cases there's pepper spray followed by good ol kicks. The best is to break their knees, so they become combat and chase useless. (Thus I love wearing boots) A gun or knife, or pepper spray. A loser is the one who is dead, not the one who stays alive. By whatever means necessary. Ethics and honour are for mother Theresa and other such folk. Actually I quite enjoy my lightweight and closely monitor my weight so it doesn't go more than 56 kg, I feel bad/overweight at 57kg. p.s. I prefer a Beretta Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! It's such a beauty! There is respect for a handgun on street and the streets are cold and unfriendly where I live. Martial artist or not, but they go around in gangs and don't tell me I could do anything without a weapon against 5 or 6 people, especially if some 2 jump from behind my back. A few shots in the air and they scatter like kitties. The best defence of course is to avoid any such encounters. Use stealth and fast legs.
Riiight, and these two guys that jump you from behind, they don't manage to knock you out, or wrestle you to the ground then? In this 'Death Wish' esque fantasy you have about defending yourself, you somehow manage to remain conscious, and pull your piece? You've seen to many movies I think! All you'd do in that situation, is deliver a gun into the hands of a criminal. Out of five bad guys, not one is going to have a gun of their own? Nor a knife? You're going to get attacked, and somehow, manage to regain the distance you need for a handgun to give you an advantage? Please, if you do think you can do this, get yourself a rubber gun from a martial arts suppliers, and go through the exercise at your dojo. See, I have, and if someone is within 12 feet of you when you try and pull, you'll get your face mashed before you get a shot off every time. I'd be happy to extend that to fifteen feet personally. But no, you think you can open your jacket, click off the strap from your holster, pull, click off the safety, aim, and shoot, before a bad guy takes a few paces and smashes your nose. And that is for the shooter taking the initiative, btw. If you let the attacker choose when/if, it's even harder to mark your man.
Of course you're right if I'm an idiot and haven't redyed my gun. You keep it in your jacket or coat pocket, in your hand and if needed, can shoot through it. It's not that you'd generally get atacked on main street. When walking at night through the dangerous blocks, the weapon whatever it is, a handgun, pepper spray or military torch (torch is perfect at nights to blind, and it's also very heavy - good for smashing an opponent in the head), must always be ready to use instantly otherway there's no use of it, no matter what hell weapons you have locked in your suitcase. I've grown up with military personel and have my own understanding of survival. And I'm still well and kicking (no pun intended). Probably means that my method works. p.s. You can do the warning shot in the air later. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I said I work on speed. I can well jump aside a good distance (if there is anywhere where to jump aside of course. That should always be considered -> the retreating route, closest places to get help, etc) and change my position really fast. In tournaments I'm very rarely hit, I'm there to avoid any damage of my body. If they have a gun then I'm screwed either way. Doesn't happen here so often though (as heard from the police reports). We have strict weapon laws in Latvia, not like in the USA. Street thugs don't usually have a gun. A knife is not the worst thing if it is not thrown.
I object! The best thing is to see the danger before you have to run. Avoid it! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Don't travel at nights if it's not necessary for you. Stay the night at a friend if you're there or one of your friend's house is closer to the location you are and the location sucks. If you have to go anywhere, ask for a company of one or two of your buddies. Make it in an adventure. My training buddies always love such missions and thugs hesitate to attack a company, besides you can cover each other's back and work as a team. I never reject a bed if they'd prefer to stay at my place during the night and not return home to their dangerous blocks. One my friend lives in a particulary bad area. Doesn't venture out of her house after the nightfall. But as I said, the best defence is that you don't even get into trouble and have to run or defend.
Indeed. That is why I managed to live for a year in Manchester without getting mugged. I avoided being hideously drunk in a public place, avoided dark alleyways etc. Perhaps walking at 8kph and being 6 foot 3 inches tall as well as adopting a wary yet innofensive general demeanour helped as well.
I have to walk through an old 19th century graveyard after darkness falls twice a week. And it's one of the safest places on my route home. Lot's of places to hide (tomb houses, etc), no dark corners for thugs to hide.The only problem there is druggies and people who train their dogs at night. One scene was particulary curious. A man was training his dog to respond to a shout "police!". He shouted and dog went mad and attacked. Then he would shout "stop!" Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!)
Hahaha. Personally, I find that actual, real dark places are not attractive to neds and schemies. Whereas I will quite happily walk the dog in the woods in the dark, secure in the knowledge that in the UK there are no bears, cougars etc, and the chances of meeting a random phsychopath are nil. Any neds etc I am likely to hear long before they hear me.
Yeah, thugs have better places to hang out than zero lit forests or graveyards. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I quite enjoy forest walks too (though I suspect my dog is more of a coward than myself Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! , but I can understand him, he's even smaller than me (a chow chow))
<i>"though I suspect my dog is more of a coward than myself..."</i> Funny. One morning during a camping trip I took my dog for a walk down a trail towards another lake. As we passed through another campground, a large dog that was tied to a tree jumped out and started barking at us. It scared the crud out of me. When I turned around my dog was gone. The sucker left me standing there alone. He ran back up the trail and wouldn't come back down. The lab that we now have is so friendly I don't think he would be much protection.
Yes, we have a lab as well. She can bark scarily enough at people when they are the otehr side of the glass, but once she gets to sniff them she usually just wants cuddled. Mind you I dont know how she would react if attacked by a human. If attacked by a dog she might either run or fight, it depends on the other dogs size and visciousness. If I was attacked whilst out with the dog I think my best bet would be to try and use the dog to trip an attacker up, shes good enough at getting in the way.
bringing this back up, simply because I'm interested. So I'm working with a group on Fridays who ranges the gambit from "once a week martial art fun" to "warrior monk". I'm debating where I want to place myself in that range, and having a hard time of it. I do a different martial art the rest of the week, and to become more hardcore in this particular Friday night group, it would necessitate quitting the current week-day study. For those who have studied both multiple-systems-at-once, and also have focused on one heavily, which did you find more beneficial? The mixture of many different methods (wide approach)? Or the steadfast study of one (deep approach)?
i think martial arts are pointless. they became obsolete the second guns came into the picture. *chinese guy does some crazy martial arts styles "whooahh!!"* *smart person pulls a gun out of pocket. BOOM!* *thump*
but your story implies that the crazy martial artist is 1)showing off. 2)using his abilities before he is in danger, and to no one's assistance. 3)someone has a gun. all three violate the logical aspects of martial arts training. 1)do not kick about aimlessly 2)use martial arts only in the defense of yourself or others. 3)don't be a dumbass.
oh, most certainly a viable situation. just not a recommended one. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
but of course. this is why its a good idea to carry a gun, in case: 1) some crazy chinaman decides to go kung-fu on yo' ass for no reason. 2) ANYONE decides to go kung-fu on yo' ass for ANY reason, shoot to kill. or 3) you go kung-fu on someone else's ass, and something goes wrong. always good to have a plan 'b'.
river-wind, it's good to be a pro in one art, but to know other moves of other arts too no art is perfect, all have uncovered basics in them. take Bruce Lee as an example, he was a really fantastic martial artist and his secret (as told by himself) is that he had such a wide base knowledge. If a judo student gets really close to a taekwondo student, he is screwed, but if the taekwondo student knows a bit judo, then he knows judo moves and how to best avoid them and then use the abilities where he is pro. the more arts you know, the best it is, but it's not necessary to know them all at pro. So my suggestion is that you stay with the one you want to go pro and do a selected choice of some one or two other arts that would nicely add to your abilities and choices what your primary art gives. I practice taekwondo, but this summer I hope to learn a bit of tae-box, because of its' superb low kick moves.
Gun-Fu is much better. ever see that movie thats a lot like "1984" but has christian bale? its awesome. forgot the title! anyway, they make the use of guns into a martial art. kicks ass.
